Doctors and Hospitals in Mexico

Friday, June 27, 2014

Are You in the Healthcare Business? Maybe It's Time to Go Smart

And by smart, I mean smartphone smart.

A new study has shown that 80% of phone users would like to have more access to health care organizations through their smartphones. While it's true that most health care providers have a webpage, they often don't have the platform that is needed to show their information in a smartphone-friendly way.

Fico, a company that works with tendencies research and decision management software conducted this study. In it, they discovered that people are interested in keeping in touch with government insurance agencies, private insurance companies, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, and other parties.

It is not just a matter of getting information about the services. People want applications that remind them of medical appointments, dental appointments, medication times and other tasks. They also want to be prompted to make calls to health care providers depending on their circumstances. Some of them want to be able to buy their medications or arrange appointments online, instead of calling a person and set an appointment.

It is interesting that many people are willing to get medical advice from their smartphones instead from a doctor. While I understand how convenient it can be, it's not a good substitute and it can lead to health issues. In fact, more often than not this approach leads to the wrong diagnosis, confusion, or even panic.

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Robert Ervin is a freelancer who writes about healthcare, medical
tourism, and living in Mexico.